Group 7 - The Unification of Japan; Neo-Confucianism and Christianity and Dutch Learning (744-749) 2

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Group 7

- The Unification of Japan; Neo-Confucianism and Christianity and Dutch Learning (744-749)

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NEO-CONFUCIANISM AND FLOATING WORLDS
Neo-confucianism
in Japan
  • Neo-Confucianism emphasizes filial piety and loyalty to superiors
  • It was supported by the Tokugawa shoguns and promoted it's constant exposure of it's values in their education system

Native Learning
  • Neo-Confucianism never became dominant in Japan because during this time, Japan was trying to develop it's own culture separate than that of China
  • There was a urge to study Japanese classics because they believed learning traditional Japanese views put Japan as superior to all other cultures
  • Traditional studies glorified the "purity" of Japanese society before foreign influences, including the Chinese
  • Uprising middle class of merchants in large cities created a dynamic pop culture

Floating Worlds
  • The centers of Tokugawa urban culture were ukiyu ("floating worlds")
  • Their society had rigid rules of conduct that governed public behavior in Tokugawa society, but in contrast

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    to this, the main expressions of their culture were prose fiction and new forms of theater; used as an escape from the serious bureaucratic world
  • Ihara Saikaku (1642-1683) - one of Japan's well-known poets who helped create a new genre of prose literature; most of his works revolved the theme of love
  • 2 new forms of theater
    • Kabuki - several acts of energetic and sometimes humorous skits composed of acting, singing, staging, and dancing; actor must be able to improvise
    • Bunraku - dramatic puppet theater accompanied by chanters and music; each puppet was controlled by 3 people

CHRISTIANITY AND DUTCH LEARNING

Christian Missions

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  • Christian missionaries and European merchants also contributed tot the cultural fabric of Tokugawa.
    • Francis Xavier - set up Jesuit mission in Japan; started a popular Jesuit movement
    • European missionaries would not let the J apanese people become priests or take leader s hip positions
  • Christianity originally spread because of the Japanese peoples want to establish trade and military alliances with Europeans
  • Tokugawa shoguns restricted Europeans access to Japan, because they were afraid of European influence and it's threat to their society
  • Christianity was resented by scholars of Confucian and Buddhism because Christian doctrine says that they are the one true religion

Anti-Christian Campaign
  • Between 1587-1639 the shog uns created several decrees to stop Christian movements
  • Missionaries and people of Christian faith were forced to renounce their faith or the would be persecuted, or in many cases executed (crucifixion or burning at the stake), for their beliefs by the Tokugawa authorities
    • Portuguese in charge of Jesuit missions in Japan, Christovão Ferreira, gave up Christianity and worked for the Japanese interrogating Europeans
    • Claimed 10s of thousands of lives
  • Christians in Japan were forced "underground" and into rural southern Japan

Dutch Learning
  • "Dutch Learning" was the learning of Dutch in Japan to communicate with Dutch traders and recieve information on the rest of the world, as most sources of information were banned in Japan
  • Dutch influence on academia increased when the ban on foreign books was lifted
  • European art caused an interest in anatomy and botany